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1978 28'SAM MORSE BRISTOL CHANNEL CUTTER

Listed
Price Reduced
$55,000 USD
$67,500

Seller's Description

1978 28′ SAM MORSE BRISTOL CHANNEL CUTTER. FIDDLERS GREEN ** MAJOR PRICE REDUCTION 8/2/24 ** $55,000 Length: 38 ** MAJOR PRICE REDUCTION 8/2/24 **

FIDDLERS GREEN

YEAR BUILT : 1978

LOD : 28′

LOA : 37′

BUILDER : Sam Morse

LOCATION : Wiscasset, Maine, on the hard since the fall of 2022

CONSTRUCTION :

Fiberglass hull & decks

All exterior wood is teak

Interior wood cabinetry is rosewood and cherry, wood overhead is ash

Teak chocks for dinghy, totally restored

7′ fiberglass sailing dinghy w/ no sail, w/ oars

Simpson Lawrence manual winch, not installed

All mechanics are in good shape

All wiring less than 5 yrs old

Lifelines are new

GENERAL INFORMATION :

Information about SAM MORSE, EXCEPTIONAL BOATBUILDER : https://samlmorse.com/bristol-channel-cutter/fabrication/

DOWN BELOW :

Galley on starboard running fore and aft Enclosed head starboard forward of galley Standing workbench starboard under doghouse Chart table port aft Quarter berth starboard aft Dinette port forward main salon converts to double berth V berth

kerosene stove, 2 burner

Barient #32 self tailing winches

4 big snatch blocks

8′ boat hook

Boat is in good condition, ready to run with mostly all new gear.

All regular maintenance has been performed using top quality materials.

Sails :

Main, 2018, very good

Yankee, Genoa, & staysail are serviceable

Storm trysail & storm staysail are good

Sailcovers need minor repair

Wisker pole

Engine :

VOLVO MD11 diesel

2 new group 32 Deep Cycle batteries

1 Marine Starting Battery, 800 cranking amps

New 39 gal fuel tank, 2018

Water tank, 60 gal

Ground tackle :

35# CQR w/ 200′ 5/16BBB chain

2 Danforths w/ 200′ nylon rode

Fisherman

Boat is in good condition, ready to run with mostly all new gear.

All regular maintenance has been performed using top quality materials.

Equipment: All regular maintenance has been performed using top quality materials.

** I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS BEAUTIFUL CLASSIC **

CONTACT

Glenn Schroeder

Barnegat Bay Yacht Brokerage

609-312-8263

HeartsDesire1925@gmail.com

** THE CLASSICS ARE WHAT WE SELL **

Thank you, Glenn Schroeder

SEE ALL MY LISTINGS ON BOAT NATION: https://www.boatnation.com/listing/barnegat-bay-yacht-brokerage/

Specs

Designer
Lyle C. Hess
Builders
Cape George Marine Works
Sam L. Morse Co.
Associations
Bristol Channel Cutter
Sam L. Morse (boats built by)
# Built
129
Hull
Monohull
Keel
Long
Rudder
Transom hung
Construction
FG
Also Known As
BCC28, Bristol Channel Cutter

Dimensions

Length Overall
?
Length On Deck
28 1 / 8.6 m
Waterline Length
26 2 / 8 m
Beam
?
Draft
?
Displacement
14,000 lb / 6,350 kg
Ballast
4,600 lb / 2,087 kg (Lead)

Rig and Sails

Type
Cutter
Reported Sail Area
673′² / 62.5 m²
Total Sail Area
?
Mainsail
Sail Area
?
P
?
E
?
Air Draft
?
Foresail
Sail Area
?
I
?
J
?
Forestay Length
?

Auxilary Power

Make
Yanmar
Model
?
HP
27
Fuel Type
Diesel
Fuel Capacity
32 gal / 121 l
Engine Hours
?

Accomodations

Water Capacity
64 gal / 242 l
Holding Tank Capacity
15 gal / 57 l
Headroom
6 0 / 1.9 m
Cabins
2

Calculations

Hull Speed
6.9 kn
Classic: 6.87 kn

Hull Speed

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Formula

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

A more accurate formula devised by Dave Gerr in The Propeller Handbook replaces the Speed/Length ratio constant of 1.34 with a calculation based on the Displacement/Length ratio.

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio.311
Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

6.87 knots
Classic formula: 6.87 knots
Sail Area/Displacement
18.5
16-20: good performance

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

Formula

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64)2/3

  • SA: Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
  • D: Displacement in pounds.
18.54
<16: under powered
16-20: good performance
>20: high performance
Ballast/Displacement
32.9
<40: less stiff, less powerful

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Formula

Ballast / Displacement * 100

32.87
<40: less stiff, less powerful
>40: stiffer, more powerful
Displacement/Length
345.7
300-400: heavy

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

Formula

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

  • D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
  • LWL: Waterline length in feet
345.65
<100: ultralight
100-200: light
200-300: moderate
300-400: heavy
>400: very heavy
Comfort Ratio
33.4
30-40: moderate bluewater cruising boat

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Formula

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam1.33)

  • D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
  • LWL: Waterline length in feet
  • LOA: Length overall in feet
  • Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet
33.36
<20: lightweight racing boat
20-30: coastal cruiser
30-40: moderate bluewater cruising boat
40-50: heavy bluewater boat
>50: extremely heavy bluewater boat
Capsize Screening
1.7
<2.0: better suited for ocean passages

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

Formula

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

  • Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet
  • D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
1.67
<2: better suited for ocean passages
>2: better suited for coastal cruising

Notes

From BlueWaterBoats.org:

With all the nostalgia of yesteryear the Bristol Channel Cutter 28, introduced in 1975, represents a pinnacle of ruggedness and practicality while retaining respectable performance. Few boats can take the abuse of extended voyaging as well as the Bristol Channel Cutter and I guess it’s become something of a Lyle Hess masterpiece.

Late designer Lyle Hess achieved somewhat of a cult following among a select group of small boat adventurers. In particular his designs were popularized by Lin and Larry Pardey and their series of cruising books. Hess is probably best known for Lin and Larry’s 24 foot Seraffyn and their subsequent 29 foot Teleisin. And really when you dig a little deeper, you’ll find the Bristol Channel Cutter was created in answer to sailors wanting a “Pardey” yacht.

Bad puns aside, among the endearing features for the long distance sailor are huge stowage, a sensible layout and a proven track record. Besides Serrafyn and Teleisin’s well known 40,000 mile circumnavigation and five passages of the potentially treacherous Tasman Sea, a Bristol Channel Cutter was first in the Newport to Ensenada Race of 1978, and first in class in 1979. And in the 1980-1990s Roger Olson sailed his Bristol Channel Cutter Xiphias 50,000 miles over a thirteen year two-ocean odyssey.

Upon first glance the sheer size of the bowsprit is noticeable, together with a bumpkin, the boat can carry an immense amount of canvas for her displacement. A peek under her waterline reveals lines that look conservative and traditional. There’s the familiar wineglass section profiles and a full keel that’s missing the popular forefoot cutaway that many designers employ to improve nimbleness and reduce drag. Yet on closer inspection performance tweaks can be found. A fine bow entry coupled with maximum beam quite far aft is good for close windedness and flat sections with minimal deadrise aft aid righting efforts when heeled over under sail.

The Bristol Channel Cutter’s layout has been thoughtfully designed to the minute details, we hear even the smallest of owner modifications will have ramifications elsewhere. Fitting for this kind of sailboat, don’t expect staterooms designed for time on anchor – all berths are seagoing. There’s four of them – two settees, a pilot berth, and the all important quarter berth. Stowage is abundant and everywhere. In short a long distance voyager’s dream.

History

So the story goes, a friend of Lyle Hess asked for a small traditional boat that would cross oceans. To that commission, Hess presented his interpretation of the pilot boat designs which had proven themselves in the 19th century. These workboats were heavy in displacement, long in waterline with wineglass sections and hard bilges. Their rigs carried lots of canvas, they’d lug a lot of cargo, and could sail fast on all points of sail.

Hess’ initial design was a 28 footer, which then was scaled down to a gaff-rigged 24 foot design to mitigate his friend’s concern over construction cost. This boat became Renegade of Newport, launched in 1950. By the 1960s the Renegade caught the interest of Larry Pardey. Upon request Hess drew up plans for a marconi-rigged version for carvel wood construction. This boat became Seraffyn which launched in 1968.

Through the magic of books and articles written by the Pardeys, an interest in small boat voyaging emerged with the famous Pardey tagline “go small, go simple, go now”. It drew attention to Hess’ work and Hess answered this interest by designing the 28 foot Bristol Channel Cutter, for construction in fiberglass by the Sam L. Morse Company. The Bristol Channel Cutter 28 launched in 1975.

In 1992, before a recession, Morse sold the company he founded to a Hess fan named George Hylkema, who hired Roger Olson, fresh from his 50,000 mile world cruise onboard Xyphias brimming with ideas to improve the boat. Olson bought the business in 1995 before selling the company only three years later in December 1998 to the fourth and final owner, Sumio Oya.

By 2007, Sam L. Morse Company was struggling to be viable. Its classic boats were in less demand and profits tended to be found in building much larger vessels. New mass production technologies from other manufacturers made it harder to compete. After the completion of its 126th hull, Cape George Marine Works was given the molds along with the right to build both the Bristol Channel Cutter and the Falmouth Cutter 22. For Sumio Oya, it was important to protect the quality and reputation of the boat so upon selecting Cape George to carry on the name, the deal involved no money apart from the cost of relocating the molds which was paid by Cape George. Before closing, Sam L. Morse Company did consider the opportunity to build a larger Hess boat but in the end there was not enough capital to launch the project.

The company continued operation through to August 2008 helping Cape George build two more Bristol Channel Cutters before finally shutting down, leaving Cape George to carry on availability. Since then Cape George rolled out an additional hull in January 2011.

Beyond the 129 American boats it is estimated between 30-45 hulls were built in a Canadian yard called Channel Cutter Yachts located in Vancouver, BC. These were bootleg versions for which no design royalties were paid. From what we hear the Canadian boats were also built to a very high standard.

Links, References and Further Reading

» Bristol Channel Cutter / Falmouth Cutter Owners website, information, images and discussions.
» Lyle Hess: A Profile by Chuck Malseed, a historic look at his work, Cruising World Magazine Feb, 1977.
» The Bristol Channel Cutter 28 on the official Cape George Marine Works website.
» Bristol Channel Cutter Review by Jack Horner, BoatUS.com
» Bristol Channel Cutter Review, Boats.com, Aug 2000
» A vintage video tribute to the Bristol Channel Cutter including construction details.

This listing is presented by SailboatListings.com. Visit their website for more information or to contact the seller.

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